The Ministry of the Interior dismissed on Saturday social media reports that a civil servant died of the coronavirus (COVID-19) at Tora Prison.
The claim said that a member of staff at the prison had died from the virus, raising concerns of further infections inside the prison.
In a statement, the Ministry of Interior said the deceased employee had been on official leave since 17 May, to undertake treatment for an unrelated chronic illness.
During his leave of absence, he took a coronavirus test at the Imbaba General Hospital, but he died before receiving the test results, which later showed his positive diagnosis, the statement said. The staff member’s cause of death has yet to be determined, however.
Although the deceased employee had been off work for 14 days, the Ministry of Interior said it had undertaken all precautionary measures for safety reasons. This included sterilising the employee’s office and examining people who had been in direct contact with him immediately prior to his death.
The ministry added that it had conducted medical examinations on the employee before he went on sick leave to ensure he was not coronavirus-positive.
The Ministry of Interior will take legal action against those who spread inaccurate news, the statement added.
